Category Archives: review of the walking dead 115

10 years is a real achievement for any comic title, and The Walking Dead is a true against-the-odds success story. This is in no small part down to a strong story and great art (from both Tony Moore in the early days & then the phenomenally consistent run from Charlie Adlard for the past 9 years). The TV series that it spawned is arguably more successful and certainly better known to the general public, but it all started 10 years ago with Rick Grimes in a shoot out, then waking up in a hospital bed…

However, I would argue that issue 115 is not a great choice to mark the anniversary. First of all, the montage cover – which tries to give a cinematic sheen to proceedings – is wrong. Why mess around with a cover format (that being a single image, pertaining to the events in the issue itself, regardless of how tenuous that link is) that has worked so well for 10 years? It is part of the character of the comic. That is not to say the cover is particularly bad – it is not – but it is not classic TWD. I thought that would be worth celebrating?

The story in issue 115 is ‘chapter 1 of 12’, as it proclaims on the cover. So don’t get too excited, as this is typical Kirkman ‘calm before the storm’ writing. So you get lots and lots of talking, where Major Characters get to extrapolate and vent and where the plot is set up for the next issue where things generally turn a bit nastier. Rick makes a rousing speech to the armies of the 3 communities, across a double page spread. Rick turns up outside Negans community and gives another speech / threat / warning. Negan counters (with words). That’s your lot. As a ‘jumping on point’ it doesn’t work as we get no real idea of the motivations behind this ‘All Out War’. For me it was The Walking Dead and its most turgid and banal. There used to be a time when even the slow-burn issues held an interest, but now they seem to parody the tropes of this comic (the Rick as the True Leader trope, the Rick as Saviour trope) and the conversation can border on banality (though there was 1 funny piece about a tiger and a bathtub).

In summary, it felt like a bit of a flat way to mark 10 years. I am sure that things will pick up over the next few weeks (they always do). But when the comic falls flat nowadays, it falls flat hard. Shame.

Random musings

Carl is starting to look really grown up now. I guess it must have happened in the last 2 or 3 issues? He doesn’t look like a little boy any more.

Who was the guy that Negan dragged out in the last scene? Any clue?

Father Gabriel in one panel, Eugene in a small cameo role – it’s just like 2009 again!

The art, with Stefano Guadiano, on inks, looked smoother and fuller. I liked it a lot.